Mary Lou McDonald: A Republican Riddle

by Shane Ross

Mary Lou McDonald is the bookies' favourite to be Ireland's next Taoiseach. She would be the first woman to reach the office, and the first Sinn Féin leader ever to enter government in the Republic of Ireland. But how did a quintessentially bourgeois woman become the leader of a political party with such recent links to terrorism?
This exhaustively researched biography unearths new details of her family background and her privileged education, as well as her initial foray into politics through the more traditional Fianna Fáil party. It explores her unusually late commitment to political life and traces her mysterious but meteoric rise through the ranks of Sinn Féin and her relentless drive to reach the top of the party.
Scrupulously fair and balanced, Mary Lou McDonald illuminates its subject's political awakening and her interactions with the hard men of the IRA, while posing important questions about the evolution and future of Sinn Féin.

417 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2022

Reviews

[Jonathan Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shane Ross writes well, so the book is a fairly smooth and engaging read. The problem is content and orientation. As a disclaimer to go with my less than positive review of the book, I can say that I wouldn't ever vote Sinn Fein so I am certainly not an apologist for them.

Throughout the book, any actions by Sinn Fein are presented conspiratorially, even where such behaviour is completely normal for a political party. For example the author repeatedly implies that selecting a middle class Dublin woman as leader is a manipulation, whereas any political party in the same situation would likely do the same, and it is after all the goal of parties to try to win elections so they typically choose someone likely to appeal to electors!

Ross' anxiety to nail SF also causes him to exaggerate. The McDonald family home of 254 square metres hardly qualifies as a mansion, for example. This detracts from the more relevant point that it is not really clear where the Lanigan Mcdonald family would have found enough money to pay for the house, though again the amounts are hardly enormous and there are plenty of examples of far more blatant (and corrupt) financial overreach by some others of our former leaders.

Overall the main relevant question is whether SF is a truly democratic party and thus if its ascent to power could undermine democratic and transparent governance. Here Ross raises many legitimate questions particularly regarding influence of former armed fighters. However his stance is so anti SF and often petty, that these big questions are lost in the diatribe.

[Oakleigh Irish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating political yarn. That Shane Ross is about as West Brit as you can get just makes the process of sorting political bias from perceptive journalism even more intriguing.

[Ronan Conroy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew very little about Sinn Féin’s president Mary Lou McDonald before reading this book. In fact, I’m a little out of date with Irish politics in general, and this book primed me with a lot of updates and background on recent developments within Sinn Féin and across the other political parties. For that, it’s been a useful book.
That said, it’s a bit poorly written, repetitive and highly speculative. Way too much focus on a kind of working-class-hero chip-on-the-shoulder resentment of the idea that McDonald came from a middle class background. It just comes off as a touch bitter and silly.
All that talk of McDonald’s big mansion - some mansion, Ross. You need to get out more.
If you’re looking to get up to speed on the career of McDonald, this will serve the purpose. But it’s a dull read, lacking any real spark or truly provoking sense of perspective.

[Muireann80 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my usual genre at all nor do the author or subject reflect my own political views. It took me over a year to read - dipping in and out sporadically. Some interesting snippets, but to be taken in the context of the bias of the author.

[Corey Rigley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining read. The book is written with an obvious bias and it assumes conclusions on various aspects of Sinn Féin's inner workings. Despite this, it paints a vivid picture of Mary Lou's past and personality, and was an easy enjoyable read. I don't think the book provided any new real insights into Mary Lou or Sinn Féin, but it still has some useful content for anyone interested in this subject. The book undoubtedly feels premature, with the best years of her career clearly still ahead of her.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the easiest book to read but thoroughly researched and brings new information to light on Mary Lou McDonald. Recommend others to read it before voting to put her in power. There are many unanswered questions, particularly who wields the real power in Sinn Fein - the leader or the shadowy unelected people who were the IRA Army Council. It’s clear too that McDonald fits her own story to suit whatever audience she is addressing - not unusual but surely her “facts” should not contradict each other. A timely book that provides some insight into the hidden story of the leader of Sinn Fein.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable piece of work. Ross leaves no stone unturned in his digging into both Marylou and Republicanism’s history, and equally, he leaves aside no opportunity to excoriate Marylou, despite all the while expressing his admiration for her. This may not be a hagiography in any sense, but it is thorough. There is no doubt of Ross’s great effort to expose this history, yet it would be greater served had he left his personal feelings to one side.
Still, a worthy book to read overall, one which adds to the storied history of Ireland, the IRA, and Sinn Féin.

[Brian Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too much detail for me but interesting nevertheless. He takes her life story from her upbringing in Rathgar to 2022. He worked alonside her in the public accounts committee so got see her up close. Of course Ross's politics hardly align with Sinn Féin's so this is a pretty critical book. It confirmed all my prejudices about her and about Sinn Féin!!

[John Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Shane Ross book. Learned something but most of the book I already knew from other media over the years.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Celebrate Mediocrity!

[Laura Dolan · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most boring books I have ever read.

[David Bowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really difficult read. Hard to know how much the author’s bias has affected this book. I like and trust M-L even less now than I did before I started reading this book.

That’s all I’ll say!!

[Alit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitious, repetitious, repetitious! Low content, lots of padding. Poor

[Wolfetone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good